Wire stranding machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1954 m w gfl w M m0 o m@ m a W 7 I V: a 7 B m a fa 52m 0 2 6 M N6 4 a M 9 5 Dec. 31, 1957 J. COOK 2,817,948

WIRE STRANDING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR c/Zi/z 00/? K} g *1 ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 19 57 go k WIRE STRANDING MACHINE- 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 19, 1954 INVENTOR Jfifi/i 00/? ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1957 c 2,817,948

WIRE STRANDING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1954 4 Sheets-*Sheet 4 IN VENTOR l l I l I l I I I v ATTORNEY United States Patent WIRE STRANDING MACHINE John Cook, Ridgewood, N. J.; John R. Cook and Paul Maxwell Cook, executors of said John Cook, deceased, assignors to Cook Manufacturing Company, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 19, 1954, Serial No. 417,430

21 Claims. (Cl. 57-67) This invention relates to a wire stranding machine.

The invention is more particularly concerned with a machine for twisting together a plurality of wires and simultaneously therewith winding the twisted strand onto a reel.

As is generally known, machine of this character generally comprise a rotatable flyer for twisting a plurality of wire strands together and to which flyer the said strands are separately delivered from sources externally of the machine, together with a reel rotatably supported within the flyer, and onto which the twisted wire strands are wound.

It has been appreciated that in order to provide a uniform twist in the wire strands as same are being woundupon the reel, it is essential that the separate wire strands be fed to the flyer at uniform linear speed. In order to provide such condition, it has been found necessary to provide differential rotational speed of the flyer and the reel for the reason that the successive layers of twisted strands on the reel are of uniformly increasing diameter as same are wound thereon. Prior to the present invention it has been the practice to provide a capstan by which the wire was drawn in from a source to the wire twisting and winding mechanism.

Provision has heretofore been made to effect a differential speed of rotation of the flyer and the reel which has assumed various mechanisms and which has been measurably successful.

It has however been found that it is not only essential that provision be made for differential speed of rotation of the flyer and the reel be provided but that the separate wire strands be twisted and wound upon the reel under relatively light and uniform tension throughout the twistmg and Winding operation and Which has not been provided by past endeavors in this particular art.

Structures heretofore provided involved relatively complex mechanism involving capstans and which in many instances imparted considerable tension in the wire strands as a condition to the differential speed of rotation of the flyer and the reel.

While substantial tension is not objectionable in relatively heavy gauge wire, it is highly objectionable in relatively light gauge wire having relatively light tensile strength.

In view of the above considerations, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a machine for twisting wire strands wherein the strands are uniformly twisted under relatively light and uniform tension throughout the twisting and winding operation.

A further object of the invention is marked simplicity in construction whereby wire is capable of being expeditiously and uniformly twisted in the absence of the'use of the usual capstan.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire strand twisting and winding machine which embodies a flyer mounted for rotation about an axis, a twisted wire winding reel mounted within the flyer for rotation. about the said axis, a motor, a drive connection between the ice motor and said flyer, a drive connection. between the motor and. said reel, and wherein said last drive connection' is adjustable for varying the speed of rotation of the reel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above noted general character, wherein provision ismade for expeditious removal and replacement of the reel.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in: connection withv the accompanying drawings, where'in'- Fig. 1' is an end elevationalview of the improved wire stranding machine as observed from the feed end thereof.

Fig. 2 is aside elevational view of: the machine, with the central hood in. sect-ion.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fore-shortened view partly in sectionand partly in elevation, as observed in. the vertical plane'of the axis of the drive shafts, and wherein only the upper portion of the machine is shown, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view of mechanism entering into the reel drive structure.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, designates a frame generally and? which may conveniently comprise a lower portion 11 and upper longitudinally spaced portions 12, 13 and 14 supported on the lower portion.

It is however to be understood that the frame may be of various constructions so far as the novel co-operating elements entering into theinventionare concerned.

Supported on the upper frame portions 13 and 14 are longitudinally spaced flyer support bearings 15 and 16 and supported on; the upper frame portion 12 is an inner shaft end bearing 17.

Rotatably supported. in the: bearing 16 is a shaft or trunnion: 18' projecting from: one end of a flyer and: the opposite end of theflyer is provided with a shaft or trunnion 18 The trunnion 1& is provided with a wire conducting bore 18 whose inner end terminates adjacent a wire guide pulley 20 whichv is rotatably supported on the trunnion 18 adjacent its inner end as at 21.

The bearing 16 includes roller bearings 22 and the outer end of the trunnion: 18 is reduced as at 23 and to which a pair of V-belt pulleys 24 and 25 are secured in rigid relation to each other as by bolts 26.

An inner solid shaft 27 has one end thereof rotatably supported in a bushing bearing 28 disposed within the inner end of the trunnionlfl.

The outer end of shaft 27 isrotatably supported in bearing 17 which includes a ball bearing assembly 29 whose inner race is supported within a circumferential recess 30 in the shaft and which recess is disposed rearwardly of an enlarged head 31 forming the outer end of the shaft. The outer raceway of the ball bearing assembly is disposed Within a housing 32 whose outer end is normally engaged by a gate 33 which is vertically slidably disposed in an aperture in a plate 34 and whose lower end 35 is removably disposed within the frame portion 12.

An outer tubular shaft 36 is supported on the inner shaft 27 for movement axially thereof and for rotation therewith.

The tubular shaft 36 extends freely through the trunnion. 18 and the latter is rotatably supported in roller bearings 37 included in the bearing 15 and the adjacent end of theflyer 19 together with the trunnion 18 is rotatably supported on bushings. 38 disposed within the said bearing 15.

. On one. end of the tubular shaft'36 is supported a bean ingv 39 which carries a yoke 40 projecting radially from an internally threaded sleeve 41 in which is operatively engaged a screw shaft 42 whose opposite ends are rotatably journalled in bearings 43 and 44.

A second shaft 45 disposed in spaced parallel relation to the shaft 42 likewise has its opposite ends rotatably supported in the bearings 43 and 44.

A motor 46 is supported on the upper frame portion 12 and whose shaft is provided with a sprocket 47 in driving relation with a sprocket 48 on the adjacent end of shaft 45.

The opposite adjacent ends of the shafts 42 and 45 are provided with operatively engaged change gears 49 whereby the screw shaft 42 is rotated by motor 46 at predetermined angular velocities with a resulting axial movement of the sleeve 41 and the outer shaft 36.

The tubular shaft 36 is provided with a driving dog plate 51 having pins 52 projecting therefrom and which are adapted to be received in recesses in one face of a wire winding reel 53 and a retainer member 54 is engaged with the opposite face of the reel atthe free end of shaft 36 for removably retaining the reel in fixed relation to the shaft.

The fiyer 19includes diametrically opposed bars55 to each of which is rotatably supported a set of wire guide rolls 56, either set being selectively usable as is indicated in Fig. 2.

A motor 57 is supported on the lower frame portion 11 and whose armature shaft is provided with a groove pulley 58 which is drivingly connected with the pulley 25 carried by trunnion 18 by a belt 58 whereby rotation is imparted to the fiyer 19.

A lay shaft 59 is rotatably supported in bearings 60 and 61 supported by the lower frame portion 11.

Carried by one end of the shaft 59 is an axially ad justable groove pulley62 which is operatively engaged with the pulley 24 by a V-belt 63.

The adjustable pulley comprises an annular portion 64 having a sleeve 64 extending axially thereof and which receives and is secured to the lay shaft 59.

The adjustable pulley further comprises a co-operating annular potrion 65 having an axially extending sleeve 66 in which the sleeve 64 is freely received.

The sleeve 66 extends beyond the corresponding end of sleeve 64 and is provided with a ball bearing assembly 66 in which is rotatably supported one end of a screw 67. The screw extends through a threaded aperture in a fixed plate 67 and the other endof the screw rigidly supports a pinion 68.

The opposite end of shaft 59 is provided with a pulley 69 and the shaft 59 is drivingly engaged with the outer tubular shaft 36 by means of a belt 70 extending about the pulley 69 and a pulley 71 surrounding and connected to the outer tubular shaft 36 by a key on the pulley coacting with a keyway 50 in the shaft 36.

Preferably an idler pulley bearing 72 is supported on the lower frame portion 11 for bearing engagement with the belt 70.

As is indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the adjustable pulley 62 is disposed within a bracket 73 and to which said plate 67 is secured. The purpose of the adjustable pulley is to selectively vary the speed of rotation of the shaft 59 and consequently the reel carrying tubular shaft 36.

Upon varying the axial spacing of the annular portions 64, 65 of the pulley 62 the diameter of the contacting surfaces of the belt 63 and the pulley will be radially varied with a consequent variation of the rotation speed of the shaft 59 and the therewith connected reel rotating shaft 36.

While various means may be provided, a simple manual control may comprise a shaft 74, one end of which is rotatably journalled in a bracket 75 and the opposite end of which is rotatably supported in a bracket 76 fixed to the bracket 73.

The shaft is provided at one end thereof with a worm 77 in meshing engagement with the pinion68 and the 4 opposite end of the shaft is provided with a manipulating handle 78.

In order to maintain the belt 63 taut under all conditions of adjustment of the pulley 62, a floating belt engaging pulley 79 is rotatably supported on the free end of the shorter arm 80 of a bell-crank lever including a longer arm 81 and which lever is pivotally connected to the lower frame portion at the angle of the arms as indicated at 82.

A weight 83 is suitably adjustably engaged with the longer arm 81.

The lay shaft 59 is provided with a brake indicated at 59 in Fig. 2 and which may be of any suitable form but preferably of an electric type including an operating solenoid as is diagrammatically illustrated.

The purpose of providing the lay shaft with a brake is to cause the tight and loose sides of belt 63 to remain and not be reversed as would be the case if the motor 57 were, provided with a brake. While the machine is running, one reach of the belt 63 is the driving or taut reach. while the other reach, that is, the reach engaged by the pulley 79 is relatively loose. By placing the brake on the lay shaft 61, this relationship of the reaches of the belt is maintained instead of being momentarily reversed when the brake is applied, so that any further movement of the parts, for example due to looseness of keys, etc., will tend to pull the wires into the machine and reduce to the minimum the possibility of the wires becoming tangled and broken as might happen if the brake were applied to the motor 57.

Having set forth the structure of the improved machine, the operation thereof is as follows:

The machine is set into operation upon starting the motors 46 and 57 with a resulting rotation of fiyer 19 and reel 53 from the motor 57 and axial movement of the reel from the motor 46.

A plurality of strands of wire W are fed from a like plurality of spools and the individual wire strands are fed through a spider S and into the bore 18 and thence around the shaft pulley 20 and the fiyer pulleys 56. The spider S which is of usual construction is suitably supported by the frame as by a bracket B.

As indicated in Fig. 2 the twisted wire strands are fed onto the reel 53 which is rotated by motor 57 and reciprocated by motor 46 through the above described drive connections. The twisted wire will be laid in successive layers on the reel 53 and While both the fiyer and reel rotate at relatively high speeds, the increase in linear speed of the strands of wire W as fed into the machine will be relatively slow and which may be visually indicated by a gauge or speedometer adjacent the wire strand supply and operated by one of the strands passing over a pulley operating the speedometer.

During the operation of the machine, the attendant will occasionally observe the speedometer and when same shows any measurable increase in linear speed of the fed in wire strands he will grasp the handle 78 and rotate the shaft 74 slightly with a resulting adjustment of the pulley 62 and a consequent reduction in relative speed of rotation of the reel 53 and fiyer 19 which exclusively draws the wire strands from their spools, whereby the speed differential between the fiyer and the reel can be varied and caused to be approximately proportional to the diameter of the winding or wire coil on the reel during the winding operation.

With this novel construction, the wire strands are fed into the machine under a relatively light uniform ten sion caused by the rotation of the reel faster than the fiyer, which should be sufficient only to provide a taut wind of the twisted wire onto the reel 53.

When the reel 53 is completely wound it can readily be replaced by an empty reel upon removing the gate 33 and pulling the inner shaft 27 outwardly to clear the space between the adjacent ends of shaft 36 and trunnion 8 whereby the reel 53* may be slid off the end ofshaft While the manuallyoperable' means for controlling the variable rotation speed of the shaft 36 and pulley 53 has been found measurably successful, the speed differential may be more accurately obtained without the observance of the attendant by automatic means such as is disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 570,375 filed March 8, 1956.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A wire stranding machine comprising a base, a fiyer rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating: said fiyer comprising a motor and a driving connection: between said motor and said fiyer, a reel supporting member disposed coaxially with said flyen to receive a winding reel thereon and to rotate said winding reel relatively to said fiyer, means for guiding wire strands to and on: said fiyer and to distribute said strands onto said reel, and a variable driving connection between said motor and said reel supporting member independent of said fiyer to positively control relative rotation of said fiyer and said reel, and means for varying said drive during the winding of wire on said reel.

2. A wire stranding machine comprising a base, a fiyer rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating said fiyer, a reel supporting member disposed coaxially with said fiyer to receive a Winding reel thereon and to rotate said winding reel relatively to said fiyer, means for guiding Wire strands to and on said fiyer and to distribute said strands onto said reel, means for positively rotating said fiyer and said reel supporting member at different speeds, independent of the drag of the wire being wound including means for varying the speed differential during winding of wire on the reel.

3. In a wire strand twisting machine having a twisted wire strand winding reel supported for rotation about an axis and for movement axially thereof, and a fiyer rotatably supported on said axis in surrounding relation to said reel and having idle guide pulleys for wire strands; means for directing separate wire strands directly from a source of supply to said idle guide pulleys on said fiyer and therefrom to said reel, positive driving means for rotating said fiyer, positive driving means for rotating said reel and including means for effecting differential speed of said fiyer and reel proportionate to the diameter of the wire coil on the reel.

4. In a wire strand twisting machine, a frame, a fiyer journaled on said frame and having idle guides for wire strands, a first shaft mounted on said frame coaxially with said fiyer, a tubular shaft coaxially rotatably supported on said first shaft for movement longitudinally thereof to support and rotate a wire strand winding reel, means directing separate wire strands directly from supply spools to said idle guides on said fiyer and from said guides onto said reel, means for axially moving said tubular shaft, means for rotating said fiyer, and means for positively rotating said tubular shaft at a difierent speed with relation to the rotation of the fiyer so that the speed differential between the fiyer and the reel is proportional to the diameter of the coil of wire on said reel.

5. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 4, the last-named means including mechanism for varying the relative rotation of said tubular shaft and said fiyer during the winding of the wire on said reel.

6. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 4, said means for rotating said tubular shaft relatively to said fiyer comprising a speed-changing driving connection between said fiyer and said tubular shaft.

7. A wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 1 asst-me g 6 with the addition of' a brakemechanism associated with said driving connection to brake the-rotation of said reel supporti'ng'member and winding reel.

8 The structure according to claim 4, wherein said fiyer has at least one trunnion which has a bore for conducting separate wire strands from supply spools to said idle guides and said trunnion-is provided with a sleeve bearing inone end thereof, a second bearing is supported by said frame; and said first shaft has its opposite ends rotatably supported in said sleeve bearing and said second bearing.

9'. The structure according to claim 4, wherein said tubular shaft has one end thereof rotatably supported in abearing, and wherein said means for axially moving said tubular shaft comprises a yoke, engaged with said bearing, and means'for moving said yoke parallel to the axis of said second shaft.

10. The structure according to claim 9, wherein, said last means comprises an internally threaded sleeve rigid with said yoke, av screw extending through said sleeve, and means for rotating said screw.

11?. The structure according to claim 10, wherein said last means. comprises a motor'driven shaft and changeable interengaging. gears supported by said screw and said shaft.

12. The structure according to claim 8, wherein said second bearing is movable axially of said shafts for withdrawing the end of said first shaft normally engaged in said sleeve bearing away from said trunnion for withdrawal of the reel between said end of the first shaft and the adjacent end of the trunnion.

13. The structure according to claim 12, wherein said second bearing is normally engaged by a gate removably supported by said frame.

14. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 4, said means for rotating said fiyer comprising an electric motor and a driving connection between said motor and said fiyer, and said means for rotating said tubular shaft comprising a lay shaft journaled in said frame in parallel relation to the axis of said fiyer, a driving connection between said lay shaft and said fiyer including means for varying the speed of rotation of said lay shaft, a driving connection between said lay shaft and said tubular shaft, and a brake on said lay shaft.

15. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 4, said means for rotating said fiyer comprising an electric motor and a driving connection between said motor and said fiyer, and said means for rotating said tubular shaft comprising a lay shaft journaled in said frame in parallel relation to the axis of said fiyer, a driving connection between said lay shaft and said flyer for rotating said lay shaft in the same direction as said fiyer, a driving connection betwen said lay shaft and said tubular shaft, and a brake on said lay shaft.

16. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 4, said fiyer having at least one trunnion and said frame having a bearing for said trunion, said means for rotating said fiyer comprising a motor and a driving connection between said motor and said trunnion, said means for rotating said tubular shaft including a lay shaft journaled in said frame to rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of said trunnion, a belt and pulley connection between said trunnion and said lay shaft for rotating said lay shaft in the same direction as said trunnion, said belt and pulley connection being adjustable for varying the speed of rotation of said lay shaft, a driving connection between said lay shaft and said tubular shaft, and an electrically operated brake to stop rotation of said lay shaft simultaneously with the stopping of said motor.

17. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in claim 16, means for operating said adjustable belt and pulley connection during the winding of the wires on said reel to vary the speed differential between the fiyer and the reel.

18. In a wire strand twisting machine as defined in 7 claim 4 wherein the last named means causes the winding reel to rotate faster than the flyer.

19. A machine for twisting wire strands comprising a frame, a fiyer having coaxial trunnions, bearings on said frame for said trunnions, a third bearing movably supported on said frame in spaced relation to the other bearings, a tubular shaft longitudinally movable coaxially through one of said trunnions, another shaft disposed within said tubular shaft with one end journaled in the other of said trunnions and its opposite end journaled in said third bearing, a wire winding reel mounted on and rotatable with said tubular shaft, whereby upon movement of said third bearing and corresponding longitudinal movement of the second mentioned shaft, said second mentioned shaft may be withdrawn from its said journal in said trunnion and said reel may be inserted and withdrawn between said trunnion and the end of said second mentioned shaft, means for rotating said flyer and said tubular shaft, and means for imparting axial movement to said tubular shaft. 7

20. In a wire twisting machine, a flyer comprising axially aligned rotatably supported trunnions, a shaft coaxial with said trunnions, a winding reel supported for rotation within said flyer on said shaft, a pair of V-groove pulleys rigidly supported by one of said trunnions, a belt pulley rigid with said shaft, a lay shaft rotatably supported in parallel relation to said first shaft, a V-belt pulley on one end of said lay shaft, a driving motor, a V-belt operatively engaged with one of said V-groove pulleys and said driving motor, a second V-belt operatively engaged with the other of said V-groove pulleys and said V-belt pulley on said lay shaft, 21 second pulley on said lay shaft, and a belt operatively engaged with the last named pulley and the said pulley on said first shaft for imparting rotation to said reel.

21. The structure according to claim 20, together with a brake on said lay shaft for the purpose set forth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 691,798 Norman Jan. 28, 1902 1,585,134 Van Hook May 18, 1926 1,981,083 Somerville Nov. 20, 1934 2,338,848 Henning et al. Ian. 11, 1944 2,342,343 Hotchkiss Feb. 22, 1944 2,623,347 Bishop Dec. 30, 1952, 

